FRONT PAGE HEADLINE: DOES GOTHAM NEED BATMAN? - SEQUEL
by Mellmo
Summary: A sequel to my first story, Front Page Headline: Does Gotham Know Batman? - It is 8 years after the previous story took place. Morgan is moving on from the events at the Iceberg nightclub with The Penguin and The Joker. She has accepted Ryan's death and the loss of contact with Bruce. She wishes to focus on her career as an Editor, but once again trouble begins to brew in Gotham.OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I am back after 5 years! Wow! I just sat here and read my old batman story. I went through the reviews and everything. While I was rereading my story I really got into it and I hated the ending I wrote and was like, "WTF Melissa." So I started a sequel. I don't know if any of the old readers even use this website anymore. It would be a shame if them didn't... and they would see my addition. :( I have kind of forgotten the fanfiction lingo...so have mercy on me. SINCE THE IS A SEQUEL, I recommend reading the first story. s/4458572/1/Front-Page-Headline-Does-Gotham-Know-Batman**

**There is the link you are interested! **

**Please let me know what you think! I am trying to incorporate the recent Batman Rises movie. Thanks for reading! **

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It had been 8 years since that day. When Bruce had left me on that rooftop to watch below as the smoke cleared and Gotham police rushed onto the scene. I will never forget how long I screamed from the top of the building, my throat burning. The people were like ants, franticly trying to save the anthill. I hadn't been able to help him. Ryan had just lain there slowly dying. I couldn't do anything about it. But he could have. Batman. Bruce. Whoever the hell he was.

I began to understand what he had meant when he warned me about creating a monster. He had been speaking about himself. The torment he suffered with his double life. The stress of it taking its toll on him every day, and every night. He hadn't wanted to wish this upon me. But I hadn't listened. I should have. But it was too late by then. The damaged had been done. No matter how much I think about that day, the facts will never change. Bruce had to leave. Batman would have been taken down at the scene. As the cops surrounded the Iceberg nightclub, he had no other option but to flee. Maybe he thought the police would find Ryan. Maybe he just didn't care. But that didn't make sense. I knew Bruce, the man under the mask. And even Batman knew that leaving Ryan there was wrong. He might as well have killed him, and that was against his code.

I never did see Bruce after that. After the incident, I had stayed in my house for quite some time. I thought about things a lot and tried to understand them. I needed to get my life back on track. I felt anger towards Bruce. It wasn't until a month later that I had taken time to visit his penthouse. But it was empty. No body was home. Not Bruce, and no Alfred. Wayne Enterprises was controlled and managed by hired people, and Bruce Wayne was a ghost. The Wayne Manor was gated off with limited access. Bruce did not want to be found. After no attempt from him to contact me, I decided it was time to move on. I needed to move on.

Ryan's funeral had taken place a few days after his death at the Iceberg nightclub. Few attended including his mother and father. I stood back and watched the scene. Giving my confused thanks from a distance. I had got my wish to have him dead. But I regretted it. It did not end the way I had wanted it to, as I had never imagined him winning my forgiveness, how ever small the amount was.

I usually though about the past while I scanned through fluff pieces that my reporter's wrote for me. I had taken over Ryan's Job as editor of the Gotham newspaper. My desk was messy like his was when I had first walked into his office 10 years ago. He had been right. The clutter did happen. I wonder where we would have been a decade later. Married? Kids? Nice house? But instead I had fucked it up, and he was 6 feet under ground. As for marriage, that hasn't happened yet. No kids either. I had gone back to focusing on my career, the way it should have always been.

There was a knock on my office door. I peered up from the story on the boy stuck in the vending machine. "Come in," I hollered.

"Hello," the officer greeted me. "Your father sent me here."

"Oh, hello…" I replied quizzically. "What did he need?"

"He wanted me to bring you these papers," he said politely as he handed me a folder.

I opened it up and quickly skimmed through the pages. There were detailed reports on criminals who were currently loose in Gotham. I had kept the crime section alive in the news paper and expand it to be as long as it needed to be to insure that Gotham citizens knew every wanted criminal. I smiled as I looked up from the files.

"Thank you very much, Officer…" I paused, realizing I hadn't caught his name.

He smiled. "Officer Blake miss."

"Very nice to meet you," I chimed, shaking his hand. "I'm Morgan." I placed the files on my desk in front of me. "Thank you for the files, and I will have these names in tomorrows paper! Tell me father thank you for me."

We shook hands again before he said goodbye and left my office. I had never seen him before and rendered that he must be a rookie. Though I hadn't been around the police station very often lately due to my schedule.

I opened the file folder again. Most of the criminals were thieves and drunken gamblers desperate for a buzz or shitty odds to bet on. After the Joker, all the criminals never compared. I sighed and picked up the phone.

"Could you please come to my office," I said into the receiver. I hung up and waited for my office door to open. "Come in," I called.

"You wanted to see me Miss?" asked my intern as she stood awkwardly in my doorway.

I looked up at her from the files. I laughed. "I'm don't bite. You can come closer."

She quickly shuffled towards my desk and halted a foot from the corner. I picked up the file folder the Office Blake had delivered to me from my father. She took it from me and opened it.

"I need those picked scanned and ready for print. I also want you to do the crime column for me this week. There's not much in there, just type up the facts and submit it to me by 4 o'clock." I nodded at her, "okay?"

I saw the shock and joy flash across her freckled face. She nodded brisk fully and thanked me as she left me office. I smiled as I watched her practically skip down the hall. That was an important section to write for in a city like Gotham. I just didn't have the time this week, and the criminals weren't too important.

I looked at the clock and it read 1'o clock. Seems like a good time to take my lunch. Just as I had set aside my stack of papers I had to finish editing, my phone rang.

"Oh for Christ sake," I muttered under my breath as I picked it up. "Hello, Morgan Hilroy Editor of Gotham Heights Newspaper, how may I help you?"

"Darling!" Rang the voice on the other end of the line. "How's my beautiful daughter?"

"Daddy?" I exclaimed. "What makes you call?"

"Well as you know I have an event to go to tonight," I have completely forgot, "and that's why I sent Officer Blake over with the files." He cleared his throat. "I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me to the event? Write a story on it?"

I tossed the idea around in my head. I could go for a nice evening or dressing up and free food. "Sure, where is it?" I asked him.

He hesitated. "You see…honey…that's the problem."

"What's the problem?" I questioned him.

"It's at Wayne Manor," he said.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! :) I am very into writing this story again. So I wrote another chapter! I was up till 4 am last night writing the first. I usually like to write comedies, but currently this story isn't requiring that. Once again, this is a sequel to my other batman story that you can find on my profile. I am posting it separately, AND on my old story. The old story I wrote when I was 16 or so around the time that the dark night came out, Now 5 years later, I am writing it again to be based about Bane. I hope to began more romance soon. The old story starts off with a good plot, but my writing wasn't too awesome, not horrible though. If you read past the first few chapters you can tell I finally got into the story fully and my writing matured. Ignore my author notes...I shook my head when I read them 5 years later.

PLEASE review. Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy the story!

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Those words dug a stake right through my heart. Though I had never been to the Wayne Manor, it was the name, and the man that pushed that stake deeper and deeper. I was silent while the words filtered through my brain. Should I go for my job? There had been many parties thrown at his mansion over the years, but he never attended. Batman was still dead. Nobody at the scene had survived to tell of his brief return. But it seemed that Bruce has died as well. Though we all knew he lived, rumors went around. I often tried to ignore them.

"I…" I began. "I will let you know." And I hung up on my father.

I had sent many reporters to the different events at the Wayne Manor, always avoiding them myself. My father had been invited for a party held for law enforcement. The crime section was the one that would cover the event. That was mine specialty section. Public relations for the police must have been throwing it for the media. It would make for a good story, and that was my job. I picked up the phone and dialed my father number.

"I'll go," I told him after he had answered the phone. "He never shows up to the parties anyways."

The night was warm with a nice breeze. I quickly jogged to my car in the under ground parking lot, avoiding the stares of a few men wandering around the pillars. Craving to put the top down of my red convertible 66' Ford Mustang, I waited until I was clear of the underground. Once outside, I felt the breeze brush over my face as the top retracted. I propped my sun glassed up over my eyes and sped off down the road to my house.

I had moved from my duplex, away from the partying teenagers. I had found a nice three-bedroom house on the edge of Gotham City in a quiet neighbourhood. After my promotion to editor, I could finally afford to. Half way back to my house I drove past a farmers market. I felt my stomach rumble. Maybe some nice vegetables would be good for dinner. I slowed down and turned into the parking lot. I climbed out of my car and headed in the quaint wooden building. As I was feeling some melons, I looked across the counter. There was an old man in a nice black coat looking at apples.

"Alfred?" I gasped.

The old man looked up from the apple in his hand. He looked older and tired. A smile formed on his face as he remembered me. "Miss Hilroy! How good it is to see you!" He put down the apple in his hand and hugged me as I came around the counter towards him. "It has been too long!"

I broke away from the hug. "Yes…yes it has." I smiled weakly.

His eyes looked sad as he spoke. "Yes Miss Hilroy…a very long 8 years." He had a frown on his aged face. "Master Wayne...he…"

I interrupted him. "I don't need you to apologize for him Alfred. And neither does he. He is a big boy, and should be able to do that himself" I kissed his cheek. "I hear there is a party tonight for the police."

Alfred nodded somberly. "Yes, your father should be there."

I brushed my brown hair off my shoulder. "Yes, I heard about it from him. I may be covering the event for the paper." I saw Alfred's eyes fill with curiosity. "I am the editor now. I also take special care for the Crime section."

"I heard about Mr. Hunter's death." He frowned.

"Yes…he didn't make it. Past away on the scene." I cleared my throat. "Well I should be going, just wanted to pick up something quickly for dinner on my way home."

I gave him another hug before I headed over to the vegetable section, leaving him with his apples.

….

I grabbed my cane as I heard Alfred come into the east wing of the Manor. I hoisted myself up from the couch and limped across the large room. "Alfred?" I called. I wrapped my robe around me and continued out of the room. "Alfred?"

"Yes Master Wayne?" He asked, coming around the corner.

"When are the guests arriving?"

"In an hour sir," he informed me. "The other side of the manor is busy with final preparation."

I nodded and turned around to go back in the room. I paused and looked back at him. "What's for dinner?"

"Salmon sir," he said. "One of the maids will bring it to you."

I limped back through the doorway. "Thank you Alfred."

"Master Wayne," Alfred called after me, "I saw Miss Hilroy at the Farmer's market on Horseshoe Road today." He waited for my reaction. I kept my back to him and didn't answer. "She maybe he here tonight."

I reached for the door and shut it behind me leaving Alfred outside the room.

…..

I pulled up to the Manor gates. They were open and a line of cars filled the long road leading towards the house. I pressed the gas and drove through the gates and up the hill. At the top a valet was waiting to take my car. He opened my door and politely helped me out. I handed him my keys with uncertainty.

"Don't worry Miss, Your car is safe with me." The young man assured me.

I looked at him skeptically and nodded. I walked up onto the path as he drove away. While I walked up to the garden, I fixed my royal blue evening gown. The train of my dress was probably getting dirty as it followed me. I checked my long brown hair to make sure no hairs were out of place before I entered the party.

…

I could hear the music coming from the garden on the other side of the manor. Cars were pulling up continuously. I had seen her car being driven by the valet to the parking area.

It had been 8 years since I had last spoken to her. Leaving her on that rooftop had been a mistake. But it had been my only choice. I needed her to learn what the consequences were of her actions. Batman could have gone back for Ryan. The police were to close, and I couldn't get caught. What Morgan hadn't known was what had happened during the explosion at the Iceberg Nightclub. I had been hit with large pieces of debris. After managing to get the largest piece off my leg, I grabbed her and got to the nearest rooftop. My body wouldn't have made it back there to save Ryan and get away in time.

Since then I had never been back in the Batman suit. Batman really had died. And Bruce Wayne wasn't much better. I usually spent my days in my manor. I hadn't had any interest in managing Wayne Enterprises and so I made Mr. Fox in charge. Alfred would beg me to leave the manor, but his attempts had always failed.

I limped out onto the balcony, hiding in the shadows. I peered down on the garden. I spotted Commissioner Gordan. He was worse for wear. His hair more gray and his face thinner. His face lit up suddenly as a woman in a dark blue dress approached him. They hugged each other and she kissed him on the cheek. Her brown hair fell all the way down her back as she laughed at what Gordan was saying. I watched as Morgan spoke with her father. She turned to take an appetizer from the waiter's tray and he walked past. Her big brown eyes quickly looked around the garden. I made my way off the balcony back inside.

…..

I glanced up at the old manor. I had seen a figure in the darkness from the corner of my eye. "Excuse me Daddy," I told him. "I will be back." He nodded and headed to the bar.

I gracefully went up the manor steps into the grand hall that opened up to the garden. I smiled at a few guests as they passed. A few people saw me and began whispering to each other. I occasionally still got people asking me about Bruce Wayne, but after multiple public statements about not having spoken to him in several years, the subject died down.

I had never been in the manor before. Glancing around the room, I slipped through a door and into another. Down the hall I spotted the kitchen. The staff was running around with food and drinks. One maid was picking up a silver tray with one serving of dinner on it. She shuffled past me in the hall as I hid behind a pillar. I looked around to watch her turn to go up the stairs. I crept down the hall after her, quietly climbing the stairs. She disappeared into a room at the top of the stairs. I cross the foyer and hid behind another helpful pillar. She emerged from the room with out the tray. Once she was down the stairs I crept through the door. It opened up to another room.

…

The door opened again. "I said that was all Rita," I said as I limped towards my dinner. After getting no response I looked up to shoo her out of the room.

"Bruce…" she said as she stood there, taking in my appearance.

I steadied my balance with my cane after the shock hit me.


	3. Chapter 3

**School break! I took a few days off from doing any kind of writing, as much of my college program involved it. But I am back! :) Please read the first story as this story is a sequel. I post these chapters as a new story and in the old story. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and favourited me and my stories. It is greatly appreciated, and keep it up! **

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I didn't say a word, as she looked me over. I could tell both of us didn't know what to do or say. I knew I couldn't expect her to forgive me, and I couldn't expect her to even stay in this room another second. But she didn't budge. Her hands hung by her sides, her eyes firmly planted on me. I flickered my gaze away from hers and focused on my dinner resting on the table. I began limping closer to the platter. I spotted my morphed reflection on the silver lid. What looked back at me was a straggly haired, unshaved face with dark circles. A lesser version of the Bruce she had loved.

"Sorry if I am interrupting your dinner," she said, breaking the silence. "I shouldn't have come here."

I glanced up as she spoke to see her turning to leave the room. I tried to speak but my voice wouldn't work. I continued to hesitate as she disappeared through the double doors.

…

"Daddy," I whispered from behind him. "I'm heading home."

"So soon?" He looked concerned as he got a better look at my face. "What's the matter?"

I kissed him on the cheek and forced a smile. "Nothing you need to worry yourself about," I concluded with fake confidence.

He nodded slowly and glanced towards the mansion. "If you say so Morgan. Drive save, it's late. Put the top up."

I gave a snort of a laugh and hugged him. "Yes Daddy, of course."

…

"Master Wayne?" Alfred said, surprised. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing Alfred?" I raised an eyebrow as I carefully put on a dress shirt.

He stayed silent as he watched me before answering. "It looks to me as you are getting dressed in something a little different then your usual pajamas Sir."

I chuckled and nodded. I grabbed my cane and limped my way over to where he was standing. "Excuse me Alfred, I must get to the door." He looked at me in shock. "I'm going to the doctors office."

"Sir, the doctor can come here to the manor if you wish," he told me.

I shook my head. "No Alfred, I will drive myself."

…

Eight years and he couldn't say one word. I thought back to the first time I had met him, and the times following. He never had shut up and I hated him for it, and now I hated him for not speaking. What had happened to him? He looked nothing like the man I had dated. But eight years is a long time. Maybe I hadn't realized that. Maybe I had been thinking he was off in another country with a new girl, maybe even married. But the Bruce that I had seen was far from anything I had pictured in my head after eight years. Maybe it made sense why he did not speak. He gave off the appearance that he didn't do much in the way of anything. He definitely wasn't doing well.

Maybe it had been wrong to leave so quickly. I could have stayed and he would have eventually said something. But instead I had run off. I had moved on and didn't want to go backwards. The thought of going back to where I had been the few weeks after being left on the roof eight years ago, terrified me. And besides, the man in that room had not been the Bruce I had known.

…

"Not good Mr. Wayne. Like I said before, severe permanent damage," the doctor exclaimed as he showed me the x-rays. "I don't see it getting better any time soon, if ever."

My lips pierced together to form a thin line on my face. I nodded and shook his hand as I slowly made my way out of his office. It had been the same answer as always. My leg never fully recovered over the past eight years. I threw my cane into the passenger seat of my Lamborghini and lowered myself into the drivers seat. It felt good to be driving a car again, even if one leg hurt while doing it.

…...

There's nothing like a good cup of coffee to wake me up after lunch. I needed it before I leafed through stories on my desk. I sipped it carefully, trying not to burn my mouth as I strolled down to my office.

"Morgan!" Someone yelled.

"I'm busy," I hollered back. "Talk to me later."

"But Miss!" They continued as I stopped in front of my office door. "There's someone-"

"In a little while please!" I interrupted as I brisk fully escaped into my office. "Bruce!" I shrieked, almost loosing grasp of my coffee.

He was sitting behind my desk, in my chair, with his feet up on my desk, his cane resting on his lap. I stared at his cleanly shaven face as he stared back. After a few moments I gestured him to explain his presence.

"I was waiting for you to tell me to get my god damn ass out of your damn chair," he finally spoke.

I held back a smirk and put my coffee down on my desk. "Well then, will you get out of my god damn chair please?"

"Only because you said please this time," he said while heaving himself off the seat. "Learning your manners after eight years I see."

"Where the hell did you go?" I spat at him.

He froze, all expression disappearing from his face. He breathed out his nose and nodded his head sincerely. "That's a valid question."

I walked around the desk so that I was face to face with him. He looked up from the ground and adjusted his stance with his cane.

"I'm sorry I left you there and that I didn't get Ryan. But I couldn't go back for him," he began while he watched my eyes weld up with tears. "I just couldn't."

"You're fucking Batman Bruce." I choked back tears angrily. "You could have!"

"Fucking look at me Morgan." He shook his cane. "I am not Batman anymore. You're lucky I even got you out of there. And the fact is, if I had even been able to physically make it to Ryan, I would have been arrested because, yes, I was Batman."

We were both angry now and my tears began to blur my vision. I hadn't known about his injury. And even though I had thought of all the reasoning, none of that rational thinking filled my brain right now. I had never factored in that maybe he had gotten hurt.

"I was already damaged Morgan," Bruce continued. "And this will never get better."

All I could do was try and fight back more tears of frustration. I managed to nod so Bruce would know I understood and accepted his reasoning. But the one thing I didn't understand was why he had left me.

"But why leave me there? Why run away for eight years with no contact?" I hit him in the chest and watched him sway from the force. "How could you do that?"

"I should have contacted you. But I am just used to disappearing. I was in the hospital for a while, and in the time they moved everything back into the manor. After that…after that I just didn't think anything I could say would make a difference." His hair was falling across his eyes. "All I can say is I was wrong. I was mad at you for what you had done to get yourself in that mess, and I acted upon that rage. And I am sorry."

My crying breaths fell silent at his words. "I did do a very stupid thing that night."

"You went behind my back. I had no idea where you were!" Bruce lectured. "You were not ready! We had made a deal."

"I'm sorry too then," I apologized. "I'm sorry too."

We stood there in my office with out saying a word. All our questions had been answered about that night eight years ago. All but one, as I still didn't know what had happened to Bruce's leg. I pointed to the chair in front of my desk and he sat down. I took my seat across from him. And he proceeded to tell me what had happened during the explosion at the nightclub. He filled in my memory with the gaps that had been left due to the fear and shock of the blast. I sat there in silence as he calmly told me all about the damage to his joints in his knee and the slim chance he had to regain full use of it.

"So there is no chance of ever being Batman again?" I asked him.

He sighed, "All I can and want to be right now is the Bruce Wayne you fell in love with."


End file.
